A common method of alleviating pain and promoting healing in post-operative back surgery patients and those otherwise suffering from back injuries is to stabilize the spine by means of a brace. Such braces typically comprise a corset made of canvas or similar material which can be snugly fitted around the patient's trunk. The back portion of the corset usually has pockets into which are inserted rigid stays for providing vertical support.
Such braces are effective if worn properly and consistently, but most patients have difficulty manually adjusting the brace to a tight enough fit for providing adequate support. This is especially true in the case of post-operative patients who are in pain and lack sufficient strength. Such patient non-compliance obviously reduces the effectiveness of the brace.
Another problem with these types of braces is their inability to adapt as the patient moves from a standing to a sitting position. That is, the patient is required to make any necessary adjustments manually to vary the tension depending on whether standing or sitting. Further, it is extremely difficult to adjust the brace to have exactly the same amount of tension or even to set a particular tension for a particular patient.